Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Get Busy

"Get Busy, Get Busy!" You ought to hear me. Over and over. Waiting, and not so patiently. You see, we're on the top floor of a condo building and have to take our little sweet pooch Mason out for each crap and to take a doggy leak. My hubby says it's just the way it is and it's good exercise for us. He's trying to embrace it. Me, on the other hand....well, I'm ready to strangle something. Soon! I hate it. I stand out there. Saying, "get busy" repeatedly. Mason usually goes to the door and stands there when he needs to go out. But he's figured the whole gig out...and does it just for kicks now. And as the weather starts turning, I'm not looking forward to false alarms in the rain and winter weather. I get totally frustrated. I feel like I'm doing nothing but participating in silliness. Wasting my time and my life. I just get something started and have to get up. Just start working on dinner and have to go downstairs. Just start writing or working on the laptop and, whammo, he's at the door. And then we just stand out there. Him sniffing, me huffing. It's not pretty. I'm afraid that this tired old goat isn't cut out for the nurturing and patience required for this fatherly crap. I hate it.

Don't you guys have a small balcony? You can train a dog to use a small type litter box outside on the balcony. Just line a pan of some sort with those disposable absorbant doggie pads for easy cleanup. It's worth a shot, and is very convenient if the pooch takes to it.

Get use to it, Lewis! You already understand that he knows the gig and how to pull your strings. My princess does the same thing. She has a knack of knwoing when I am involved in something and then will give me the "I gotta go out *NOW* or I'm gonna flood or soil the entire east coast!!!! NOW!". So I interrupt what I am doing and take her out - in possible freezing weather - only to have her sniff grass for a half hour and merrily bounce back into the house as if to say "it's too cold out here." It's even worse at 2 a.m.!!

It will all work out...Mason is just being bad and testing you...make sure you do the same times each day for potty! other times will be a bonus... I know how it goes --we just let ours run out the door and the new one Lola ( 5 months this week) doesnt like to poo in the rain-- she tends to do it on the welcome matt right outside the door! She is getting there though-- she will have to get over it as we live in Seattle and rain and winds is a given....

tornwordo hits it right on the head (or butt)train the dog to go first thing in the morning, midday- if doable, and/or once or twice during the evening- on your schedule, not hisours are 10 and 12 and never trick us with false alarmstraining takes patience but is rewarded on both sides

I recall going through a similar phase when rearing a baby lab. She was crate trained and when taking her out of the cage, you didn't put her down until you were outside or else she immediately went right there. Perhaps you can litter box train him and keep a box on the balcony during the cold months? ;-)